Encouragement

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When the Winter Grays turn into Blues
By: Missey Butler

It seems to happen to all of us. One minute we’re running here and there with Christmas parties at every turn, the frenzy of shopping sprees and the unending regalia of holiday cheer.

The next minute we’re flipping over the New Year’s calendar, dazed at the huge pile of bills, while old-man winter begins to crouch just outside our frosted window pane sneering at us once again.

To quote a rather worn out statement: “Then depression set in.”

We just can’t seem to escape those long, gray days of January that always seem so dull in comparison to the jeweled lights, laughter and celebration of the previous month of December.

But you know what? Who says it always has to be that way? In fact, January represents a time of new beginnings. And there is nothing quite as exhilarating as starting from a clean slate. Did you know that God hands us a clean slate everyday? In the words of the psalmist we hear:

His mercies are new every morning.

How wonderful and freeing those words are when daily applied to our mind, our will and our emotions. For we know only too well that our soul is in constant need of continual renewal and fresh restoring.

Every day God longs to minister the “still waters” of His un-surpassing peace whenever our soulish realm begins to stir and the restlessness of life tries to manifest itself with the gnawing voice of discontent.

God lovingly shushes that voice with His command to: “Be still and know that I am Lord.”

In contemplating these words, we begin to exhale with a sigh of relief, recognizing His beautiful presence within as we gladly resign ourselves to a sweet surrender.

We know He is there…and that all will be well.

The once gray skies of our mind begin to break away as shades of a heavenly blue begin to appear.

For the dawning of a new morning has arrived, and with that dawning comes the promise of those wonderful and blessed…new mercies.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us (Ephesians 2:4).

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